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Holliday offers Beltran advice on Derby

Holliday offers Beltran advice on Derby

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Carlos Beltran

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ST. LOUIS -- Earlier this week Matt Holliday -- a three-time participant in the Home Run Derby -- was asked if he had any advice for teammate Carlos Beltran, who will be competing for the first time in the State Farm Home Run Derby on Monday night on ESPN at 7 CT at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

Holliday's tip was simple: "Hit more than anybody else."

"That's how you have to approach it," Beltran said on Saturday. "But at the same time, it's hard. Being able to stand there by yourself and try to hit homers, it's not an easy thing. Sometimes you have to go out there and try to see the ball and try to make hard contact. After that, you don't know what's going to happen."

Beltran is second in the National League with 20 homers this season entering Saturday, and on June 15, he stole a base to become the first switch-hitter in Major League history to hit 300 homers and steal 300 bases. He will be returning to Kansas City, where he spent the first six years of his Major League career and part of his seventh.

Beltran said he hasn't decided who will throw to him during the Derby, and he doesn't have anybody in mind, either. He also doesn't know whether he'll hit right-handed or left-handed.

"I just can't, because you never know," Beltran said of picking who will pitch to him. "Right now, I'm going to go out there and take batting practice with the coaches I feel comfortable with and go with that guy."

Beltran is an All-Star for the seventh time, and has sat off to the side watching other players test their strength in Derbies for years. While he would of course like to win, Beltran isn't stressing out much over the competition.

"This is something where I just go to have fun and enjoy it," he said.